Carlos Powell, a Macomb County man who was one of the biggest drug dealers in Metro Detroit history, got bond in 2012 thanks to a bum leg, Robert Snell reports in The Detroit News.
Court records reveal Powell, his brother and a friend, all of whom disappeared before their jury returned guilty verdicts Monday, have a history of running from police, violating probation or committing crimes while free on bond.
Snell wrote about the trio's history Tuesday while a team of fugitive hunters searched for the three fez-wearing drug dealers, who face up to life in prison and $10 million fines.
The U.S. Marshals Service, meanwhile, offered a $5,000 reward for the arrest of each man.
The Powell brothers said in court filings that they wear fezzes because it is considered a religious headdress. They are purported members of the Moorish Science Temple of America and, they claim, not subject to U.S. laws.
In 2012, when the three were indicted, Rod Meloni of WDIV-TV reported on the charges against Powell and his associates, and Carmen Harlan expressed surprise the three got bond.
Federal prosecutors say the ring is linked to more than 60 pounds of heroin, 24 pounds of cocaine and a half-ton of marijuana, Meloni reported at the time. The indictment said the Powell organization used semi-trucks and vehicles with secret traps to transport drugs and money from Detroit to Phoenix. More than $20 million in cash was seized.
